Those amazing mazes – tricky, educational, but corny fun

These days, where you’ll find cornfields, you may find corn mazes, and Northwest Indiana is no exception. Several family farms in the area offer mazes for adults and youngsters.

With their tall stalks, cornfields are an ideal location for mazes. Besides providing a good time by visitors going from lost to found to lost again, these nature-made puzzles serve as outdoor classrooms, introducing young and old to a new generation of family farms.

Some mazes vary by size and themes, as some mazes range from sports to politics. Other mazes pay tribute to local lore.

At Kregel’s Pumpkin Patch in Lowell, the maze recalls local astronaut Jerry Ross and the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing – humanity’s first steps on the moon. The 7-acre maze depicts Ross, a space suit, and the space shuttle. Last year, Kregel’s highlighted the Belanger Sport, a locally made racecar that won the 1953 Indianapolis 500.

Hobart’s County Line Orchard varies its corn maze theme from year to year, from politics to the Chicago Blackhawks.

The maze at Harvest Tyme Pumpkin Patch in Lowell highlights the 80th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz.” The maze also features a lookout bridge that provides an eagle-eye view of the entire maze.

In addition to family business, these maze sites are open to school tours.